*61

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Billy Crystal-directed HBO movie on the '61 MFYs.

Thought the performances were excellent by both Mantle and Maris (not sure of the actor's names, Thomas Jane and Barry Pepper or something, not sure who was who) as well as D-Day from Animal House playing Ralph Houk. IIRC, a young Tracy Stallard surrendered No. 61, tho he was played by an old guy in the movie.

Saw this for the first time just the other night. Really good. Sad story especially now with the blowing of McGwire called into question.

I guess the mnessage is: Don't get obsessed with individual counting records.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Well fuck. Bonilla is supposed to be "one star" and Strawberry 10. Don't think this review gets any Bonillas, anyway, but before you vote, remember your clickable options begin at 2.

See, my vote for "Johnson" is an 8.

[Elster88]

I liked it. I like both Barry Pepper and Thomas Jane.

I really liked how they made a couple of reporters look like assholes. Just like real life!

[metirish]

I enjoyed it, Pepper was also quite good as Dale Earnhardt in the ESPN movie.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I loved it, especially since Billy Crystal

(1) has been haphazard in his writing and directing work --- clearly a sketch writer unable to paste what he envisions as money scenes into a compelling narrative, a criticism that just doesn't apply here.

(2) Supposedly loves the Yankees but was able portray so many of them in shades of gray.

(3) Didn't have the TV biopic disease of challenging himself to merely giving actors a chance to mimic famous people. (So many others would be going for a TV Guide pullquote of "Ray Romano is perfect as young Phil Rizzutto!")

Piazza. I'm serious. Cha Cha neither know of nor cared about these peeps and wanted to see it again.

[Vic Sage]

i found it to be a mediocre, tv-level MOW ("movie of the week").

[Benjamin Grimm]

Couldn't bring myself to watch it. When Billy Crystal is on David Letterman talking about the Yankees, I hit the fast forward button. The thought of watching a movie made by Crystal about Mantle and Maris just seemed unbearable.

Maybe I missed a good movie, but I can live with myself.

[Centerfield]

I thought the same thing too Yancy, then I happened to watch it and it was ok.

And how is Alfonzo so low? He should correlate to a 6 or 7.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

It's order of career HRs with the Mets. I wanted to do by season to be appropriate but too many repeaters.

[Guest Bret Sabermetric]

The 61 Yanks were the first baseball team I ever followed, and a late September 61 game at Yankee Stadium was the first I ever saw--I found numerous errors in the movie of a factual or historical nature, though I can't now remember what they were. It was cheesy and stupid.